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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Suffering Optional

"......Suffering is caused by change, unfulfilled longing, habits, and fluctuations in energy. Not even the most enlightened among us is immune. But in the next sutra, hope is offered when it says that we can "prevent the suffering that is yet to come." It is taught that we can have pain, yet not suffer. If we accept the inevitability of life's twists and turns and find the opportunity for growth in the struggles we face, we can prevent the unnecessary, self-inflicted suffering that comes from such feelings as guilt, blame, and regret. We can't avoid hardship in life, but through the practice of yoga, we can learn to see that our true self remains unchanged, and so we find peace and ease, even in the midst of difficulty."

From Yoga Journal, August 2009, page 22.

---- Clearly, my journey continues -----

7 comments:

Thom said...

I love this passage. I`ve been reading some books on Buddhist philosophy and psychology recently, and it makes a lot of sense to me.

annie said...

i just have to tell you that you've got some phenomenal new photos around lately! love the journey, love you.

Rick said...

Thanks Lewis. I needed some words of wisdom.
But me can do no yoga.

wcs said...

Wise words, even without the yoga.

Also loving your photos, and Blair's.

G said...

Not a yoga comment but about the heat. Stay cool, it's going to be 83 here in Studio city today. We'll get ours by Sept.

Anonymous said...

"It is taught that we can have pain, yet not suffer."

I am really and daily working to grasp this in my own life. I think I am finally grasping the difference between: pain is an inevitable part of life, but the suffering is the meaning I may add on top of the pain...

Mark in DE said...

Love that - it makes so much sense. I choose NOT to suffer, although I may feel pain.